This term our unit of inquiry is ‘We can find out about the past even though no humans were alive then’. We will be following different lines of inquiry to help us discover:

How we can find out about the past

What dinosaurs are and how we know they existed

Who has helped us to find out about the past

Our unit of inquiry will lead onto learning about the life of Mary Anning and the role she played in discovering different dinosaurs. We are looking forward to finding out about cave paintings and how the different types of dinosaurs are identifiable. Later on in the term, we will be taking part in an exciting dinosaur workshop where we will become fossil hunters and will even get to meet a T-Rex!

In English, we are beginning the term focusing on ‘Katie and the Dinosaurs’. We will be predicting what happens in the story and describing the characters and the setting using expanded noun phrases and similes. We are then taking on the role of Katie and will be writing a diary from her point of view about her adventures with the dinosaurs, as well as writing a letter to them upon her return. Once we have found out more about dinosaurs in our unit of inquiry lessons, we will be exploring non-fiction texts and identifying the features of them. We will then be using what we know to create our very own non-fiction booklets to go in our class libraries.

In maths this term we will begin to learn to use column addition and subtraction when adding and subtracting 2-digit numbers. We will begin by adding and subtracting with no carrying or exchanging (i.e. 34 + 23 and 45 – 31) and, when the children are confident with this, will begin to carry when adding (i.e. 35 + 27) and exchanging from the tens column when subtracting (i.e. 43 – 28). This term, we will also be counting money in pence and pounds, as well as making different money amounts using both coins and notes. We will then be applying this knowledge by adding money amounts together and calculating change. At the end of this term, we will explore the concepts of multiplication and division by making equal groups, sharing into equal groups and using arrays to help us. We will also be beginning to learn to recall our multiplication and division facts for our 2, 5 and 10 times table.

We are doing Gymnastics this term in PE on a Monday, where we will be learning about different ways to travel and balance using both high and low balances. We will be developing our gymnastics skills and using these to compose simple routines in groups and will be using apparatus in these routines too.

Term 2 - Home Learning

This weekend Thomas decided he wanted to learn to touch type. He looked for the typing program on Purple Mash but we couldn't find it, so we found another online learning resource instead. I think you will agree he's a natural!